Chapter XXXVII

To the utter horror of each member of the Magic Club, the rest of the week passed without incident. After losing four people in the span of two days, Lilly was certain that their end was right around the corner, and with each day that went by, she feared that Nigreos and Album would make their move and wipe the rest of them out.

Yet, they never did.

First Tuesday passed, then Wednesday, then Thursday and Friday, and come the morning of Saturday, the town of Wilham was quiet and uneventful. Originally, they had planned to use the information they got from Alice about where Nigreos and Album were hiding to make their own move, but according to Eric, their hideout went up in flames and the Masters had vanished. While he didn’t give all the details as to what specifically happened, she could tell that it frustrated him that they slipped through his fingers right as they had their first good lead. The burning of their hideout only further made Lilly fear that Nigreos and Album were plotting something, but now that the weekend had arrived, she felt more comfortable, if only a little.

It’ll be easier to keep an eye on everybody when we aren’t at school. Not to mention…

Lilly took a deep breath, glancing around the road in front of her apartment building as her parents loaded their luggage into the back of a car her father had rented. The trip to visit the University of Alden had arrived and now, her parents and Alexa were heading north so her older sister could see her dream school. Lilly would be remaining behind and keeping an eye on Natalie since Renee was also gone on a business trip that weekend.

Somehow, we made it to the weekend alive. Now, I’ll have Natalie close by so I can make sure she’s safe. And with my family gone, I’ll be able to deal with all this without making them worry any more than they probably already have been.

She had been terrible at hiding her recent stress and, despite the fact that neither her mother nor her father had approached her about it, she knew they had noticed. They were simply the type of parents to give her space until she was ready to come to them with her problems. That was how much they trusted her and she was grateful for that.

Alexa, on the other hand…

Lilly glanced over her shoulder just as the front doors of the building were pushed open and her older sister walked outside, carrying her own suitcase. They were only going for the weekend, yet the case looked packed enough to last her until summer. Lilly smiled softly as the girl walked up to stand beside her, though she wasn’t smiling at all. Instead, she looked pale and tense, with her lips drawn tightly.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t just stay here with you, Lil’?” she whispered. “I mean, how can I leave you here alone with these…people coming after you? If I told Mom and Dad I was feeling sick, I think they would—”

“Alexa,” Lilly interrupted, forcing as comforting of a smile to her face as she could. “It’s okay. This is for the best, you know? We’ve already talked about this plenty of times and you know as well as I do that you should get out of town until this is all over. If you aren’t here, Nigreos and Album can’t use you against me. The same goes for Mom and Dad.”

Her older sister grit her teeth and scoffed. “You say that, but how are you guys going to stop this? A girl died, Lilly…and apparently others have, too. What would I do with myself if something happened to you while I was gone?”

“You’d live your life,” Lilly replied. “With any luck, if we fail to stop them, then I’ll be erased and you and our parents can go on living without ever knowing you lost anybody. To you, nothing will have changed.”

Alexa shook her head. “But I don't want that,” she snapped. “I don’t want to forget you. You’re my little sister…my only sister. There’s no way I’d ever really forget you. No matter what magic they used on me, I’d always know I lost something important to me. So I…”

Tears were forming in her eyes and Lilly could tell that she was trying to fight them back so as to avoid their parents realizing anything was wrong. The reason both Lilly and Eric had urged Alexa to still go north was to make sure they were all safe. While they weren’t yet sure how they were going to fight Nigreos and Album, Eric wanted to take advantage of the Harpers’ absence. With them safe in Alden, Eric would be free to come and go from her apartment as he pleased. In addition, the other club members could hide out there and they could collectively keep an eye on Natalie. The little girl was their top priority at that point. No matter what, Lilly refused to allow Natalie to suffer because of them.

So we need to defeat Nigreos and Album. This weekend will be our last chance. If we succeed, then Natalie and the others will be safe, and if we die… She internally grimaced. Well, then at least Nigreos and Album will leave and Wilham can be safe again. Even if we aren’t in it.

Lilly leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the girl, pulling her into a hug. “I love you, Sis. I know we’ve butted heads in the past, but no matter what, I will never stop loving you. You’re my only sister, too, and I don’t want anything happening to you. You never touched the stone so you shouldn’t have to be involved.”

“But, Lilly, I—”

“Go to Alden,” she went on. “See your future college. Think about all the fun you’re going to have there next year. And when you come back, Nigreos and Album will be gone one way or another. We’ll do our best to survive. I promise.”

Alexa weakly nodded and despite the fact that she wasn’t yet crying, Lilly could feel her shaking.

“Alrighty, Lexi, you ready to go?” their father called from the street.

Alexa took a deep breath and pulled away, her eyes only slightly red. She then faked a cheerful smile and turned back toward him. “Yup, I’m ready, Dad! Let’s get going!”

“Goodbye, Alexa,” Lilly said, soft enough that only she would hear. “I’ll see you when you get home.”

Without turning back around, she replied, “See you, Lil’. Be safe.”

As Alexa hurried over to deposit her suitcase in the trunk of the car, Lilly approached where her mother and father were standing, looking at the man’s phone as they most likely tried to set up their GPS to give them directions to Alden. When they noticed her approach, her father grinned slyly.

“You know, you’re gonna be missing out, Sweetie,” he teased. “Alden is really pretty this time of year.”

Lilly shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m sure it is, Dad. However, with school ending in about a month, I’ve just got so much on my plate. I’m way too tired to do a six hour trip just to see some boring old college.”

“Well, suit yourself,” he replied. “But we’ll be sending you lots of pictures to make you jealous.”

“Try me, Dad,” she retorted, folding her arms across her chest and eyeing him with a grin. “I’m way too stubborn to get jealous over something like this. Trust me, I’ll be perfectly happy having the apartment to myself and Natalie.”

“Well, just be safe,” her mother piped in. “And don’t go out after dark, okay? It’s not safe these days.”

Her father chuckled. “And when you secretly throw that wild party with all of your friends, just try not to trash the place too much, you hear? And absolutely no boys, you got me? Even though Mr. Reiner seems like a respectable man, I still won’t trust him alone with my daughter. Teenage boys can be animals, you know?”

Lilly snorted. “Don’t worry, Dad. While I’ll probably have Eric over, Liz and Damien will be there, too. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Two boys?!” he exclaimed.

Beside him, Lilly’s mom laughed. “Lay off her, Dear. If Lilly wants to have friends over, that’s no problem.”

“But it’s my little girl, Nora!” he whined in a joking fashion. “It’s my job to keep all the nasty boys from touching her!”

As Lilly interacted with them, she silently prayed that it wouldn’t be the last time. When they drove away, it would fall to her and the club to do something about Nigreos and Album, or else this would really be the end. So, continuing to keep herself composed, Lilly stepped forward and put her arms around them.

“Get going, guys. You’ve got a long drive ahead of you,” she said.

They embraced her back and she enjoyed the comforting warmth of their bodies.

“I love you guys,” she continued. “Drive safely.”

Her father grinned and chuckled. “Yeah, you, too, Sweetie.”

“We love you, too,” her mom added.

With their goodbyes said, Lilly stepped back and stood by the apartment building’s front door, watching as her parents got into the front seats of the car. Behind them, she could see Alexa sitting in the backseat, staring back at her with a pained expression. Lilly weakly waved goodbye to her one last time and she returned it before their father started up the engine and drove off down the road. Once the car was out of sight, she took a deep breath and removed the barrier that had been holding her emotions in check. Tears began to fall down her cheeks and she put her face in her hands as she cried.

I hope I see them again. I don’t want this to be the end!

“It’s going to be okay, Lilly.”

When she heard the comforting voice, she glanced to her left, but wasn’t able to see the boy who spoke, though she had already long since sensed his presence. When the distortion spell engulfed her, Eric, Liz, and Damien all came into view, as well as Alice, who was sitting in a wheelchair that her boyfriend was pushing, her eyes slightly dazed.

He quickly let go of the handles and walked over to hug her, placing his hand on the back of her head as he rested it on his shoulder. She took that moment to cry, knowing that from there out, she wouldn’t have the chance again. If they wanted to survive, then they needed to be at the top of their game.

The end was coming and she wanted to be ready for it.

***

Eric kept the distortion spell concealing them as they moved through the lobby and into the elevator and Lilly could see Mr. Alberts, the receptionist, staring at the door in surprise as, from his perspective, it merely opened on its own. However, the man was the only other person in the lobby and he never made any move to check it out, probably assuming it was due to the wind. Once they were safely in the elevator, her boyfriend dropped the spell. The only reason he had put it up in the first place was to avoid anybody seeing Alice since, as far as the rest of the town was aware, she was still missing. When they arrived on Lilly’s floor, she led them to her apartment and went inside where Natalie was sitting quietly on the couch, an earbud in that was probably playing one of her audiobooks. However, when they entered, she quickly took it out and sat up straighter.

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“Lilly!” she cheered, but then quickly frowned in confusion. “And other people? Did everybody else come back or…?”

“Uh, no,” Lilly replied. “Actually, the club decided to stop by to visit for a while.”

Knowing that, at all costs, they needed to prevent Natalie from finding out they were in danger, Liz was quick to hurry forward and take a seat on the spot beside the little girl.

“Natalie!” she exclaimed cheerfully. “It’s good to see you again!”

Natalie smiled, throwing her arms around the other girl for a hug. “Liz! Oh, then is Eric here, too?! And that other boy I met at the festival? What was his name?”

“I’m Damien,” he replied. “And yes, Eric and I are both here, as well. We’re gonna hang out with you guys for the day. Is that okay with you?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, of course! I’ve wanted to hang out with you guys again since we went to the pier! And don’t worry! Your secret is safe with me! I haven’t told anybody! Not even Mom!”

Their smiles were strained as she brought up the magic stone, though Natalie was oblivious to their reactions. Lilly could already see Eric glancing around the apartment, almost as if he feared Nigreos and Album would just suddenly appear out of thin air. She knew he would be on alert for the entire night as there was every possibility that they could be attacked. After all, every remaining target of the Ijirians was in that room and as risky as that was, it was what the club had decided was the best decision.

With Wright, Brooks, and Rina gone, Eric had been insistent that they do something to better protect those that were left and, with Natalie staying at Lilly’s for the weekend, they had decided that the only way Eric could protect them all was if they were together. Thus far, Nigreos and Album had only made their moves when they were in small groups and this last time, Eric hadn’t even known that anything was happening. So, he proposed that they move Alice to Lilly’s apartment and the six of them stay the night until Sunday. That way, if the Masters did go after anybody then Eric would be there no matter what. Damien had expressed his worries that gathering them all together would only make them an easier target, but Eric had stated that it was a risk they had to take. The only person with any chance of defending themselves was him, so they all needed to be close enough to him for safety.

And on the bright side, they haven’t attempted to break into anybody’s house yet, Lilly thought. They’ve only attacked us where the average civilians wouldn’t see. So hopefully, even if they know we’re here, they won’t come after us yet.

“By the way, Nat’,” Lilly said, interrupting the cheerful conversation that had begun between her, Damien and Liz. “I don’t think I’ve introduced you yet, but we’ve brought along another friend of ours. This is Alice.”

She omitted her last name for fear that Natalie might have heard the news about her disappearance and, when the little girl turned their way and grinned, she knew she wasn’t suspecting anything.

“Oh cool! I’m Natalie! Nice to meet you, Alice!” she introduced.

Alice didn’t smile nor did she even really react. She merely responded with a soft, “Nice to meet you, too, Natalie.”

Lilly could tell that Natalie had picked up on Alice’s melancholic tone, so she hurriedly went to change the subject.

“Anyway, why don’t I get some breakfast going? What does everybody want?”

With that, she was successful in diverting attention away from Alice and was able to start their day. Despite their constant fear that the Masters could come after them, Lilly, Liz, and Damien managed to put on enough of a front so that Natalie didn’t pick up on anything. After they made a breakfast of pancakes, which were weirdly shaped since none of them were very proficient with a grill, the day went on without incident. They played cards with Natalie’s deck, which had brail in the top corners so she knew which card was which. Although, it was just the four of them that really got into it. Eric played with them, but he was constantly looking over his shoulder and only seemed to be half paying attention. As for Alice, she parked the wheelchair in the corner of the room and went to sleep, not bothering to play any games.

Lilly was still really worried about her, but she knew there wasn’t much she could do. Whatever Nigreos and Album did to her had her truly believing that they should give up and welcome erasure. No matter how many times she or Eric tried to convince her otherwise, Alice wouldn’t budge on the matter. She continued to beg them to give her up to the Masters and, of course, they refused, causing their relationship with her to become strained.

Although, now we’re not even certain how much of what they said to her was a lie.

The day after she spoke with Alice, Damien and Liz came to her and told her about their theory that the erased victims might not be dead. Liz talked all about how Rina still had yet to be erased and how that could mean that once somebody was dead, they can’t be erased.

And what they said lines up with what Alice was saying. Is it possible that there’s some place—some parallel realm—where these people have been sent to? I mean, while it sounds too good to be true, it’s not like I can completely discount it.

However, even if Damien and Liz were right, she still didn’t think it mattered.

After all, their theory is that the only way to break them out is to kill the Masters…and I’m not sure we would be able to do that. Even Eric doesn't think he can kill them.

They had told Eric as well and, while he hadn’t seemed to fully believe in the theory, he had said that he would do his best to look into it. She knew he was also desperate for some string of hope that might be able to return those they lost to them.

But even if they’re right, that won’t bring Rina back. Even if we somehow beat Nigreos and Album, we’ll never be able to truly say we won. Somebody was killed whether the theory is true or not.

The day continued to pass on and they did their best to keep Natalie entertained and happy. Soon enough, night had fallen and dinnertime had arrived. Liz offered to make them some pasta and Damien joined her, leaving Eric sitting on the couch with Natalie as he helped her with her homework.

“So what you’ll want to do is to make sure that whatever you do to the left, you do to the right,” he was saying. “So for example, if you divide the right by ‘two X’ then you have to divide the left by ‘two X’. Does that make sense?”

Natalie nodded. “Yeah, I think I get it. So then, for ‘two X squared’, I would square root both sides, right?”

“Exactly,” Eric replied.

She grimaced. “I need a calculator then. I don’t think the square root of seventeen is a nice number.”

Lilly watched them with a faint smile, enjoying the sight of the little girl working on her homework. It reminded her of the simpler days that, despite having only been a mere three weeks ago, felt like they were years in the past. So much had happened in so small a time period that it almost felt as if April was never ending. She sighed, then glanced over her shoulder to where Alice still hadn’t moved from her spot by the glass doors. The girl was no longer sleeping, instead staring out the window at the darkened balcony. Coming to a decision, she softly excused herself and got up from the couch.

“Hey, Alice?” she asked quietly. “Can we talk outside for a moment?”

Her friend glanced back at her with a disinterested expression then simply shrugged. “I guess so.”

Lilly whispered her thanks, then opened the balcony doors and pushed the wheelchair outside before closing them behind her. She wanted privacy so they could talk without Natalie hearing. She hadn’t had a chance to see Alice since Monday and, after hearing Damien and Liz’s theory, she decided she wanted to talk about the supposed “paradise” once again. The night air was cold and there was a light sprinkle of rain, but the overhead cover prevented any of it from reaching the balcony. The only illumination came from the porchlight and the streetlights below. Up above, the moon and the stars were hidden behind a thick layer of clouds.

“It’s cold so be quick,” Alice murmured. “And if this is about fighting the Ijirians again then—”

“It’s not,” Lilly quickly interrupted. “Actually, I wanted to ask you about paradise.”

The other girl narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Why? What does it matter to you anymore? You think I’m lying, right? You think they drove me crazy.”

“I don’t,” she snapped firmly. “Look, Alice, I know this is hard, but I need your help. You’ve been through a lot and right now, you’re the only person who has the information I need. So please, I’m begging you to just help me.”

Alice clenched her teeth and Lilly expected her to push back again, but after a moment, her features softened a glimpse of the old her came through. “What do you need, Lilly?”

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “Look, I’m not sure how much you’ve talked to them, but Damien and Liz believe you, at least to a certain extent. They’re aware of the possibility that those who are erased are still alive, just in another plane of existence…and if they’re still alive, then they can find their way back out.”

Alice nodded. “Well Damien and Liz are right. Nigreos and Album erased me to send me there…and I saw Vinny… I spoke to him. I already told you that. And then, once they were done, they pulled me out. I know their theory is right because I’ve lived it. As far as I can tell, Album can put people inside and bring them back at will.”

While that was already Lilly’s understanding of what happened to her, it was good to have it confirmed. “Okay, so then…what I want to ask is whether you know of any way that one could potentially use to break out from the inside?”

That was what she was after. As everything currently stood, it was very likely that more of them could get erased, so Lilly wanted to be prepared for that possibility. If she wound up erased, she wanted to have a plan of action that could potentially enable her to break out somehow. After all, she couldn’t kill Album or Nigreos from the inside so she would need another method.

But to her disappointment, Alice shook her head.

“No,” she whispered. “I didn’t see anything. That world was indistinguishable from ours. It was Wilham, but happier. It didn’t have the suffering that this place has. It’s why I keep telling you to give yourself up to them. Vinny’s there…and now Jay is, too. And Audrey and Rina will be there also. I know you’d love it, Lilly. And I could introduce you to Audrey. I always thought you guys were similar so I’m sure you’d get along great.”

Lilly sighed. “I’m sorry, Alice, but I can’t give up yet. I just wanted to know as a potential failsafe in case we do lose.”

“You will,” the girl said without hesitation. “You can’t win. It’s not possible.”

“You haven’t seen what Eric can do,” she retorted with a sharper tone than she intended. “He might not have faith in himself, but I have faith in him. I’ve seen his magic in action and I believe that he can beat them.”

Alice snorted. “But you haven’t seen them in action. Eric might have survived an encounter with them once, but that’s it. He was lucky and that luck is going to run out.”

“Alice…”

“Look at me!” she snarled, causing Lilly to step back in surprise.

Clenching her teeth, Alice slowly pushed herself out of the wheelchair before using the railing of the balcony to steady herself on her one foot. Lilly moved to help her but one furious look caused her to hesitate.

“Look at my leg, Lilly,” she growled as she propped herself up. “They cut it off without even trying. They cut it off with a shadow…a damn shadow.” Her arms were shaking but she held firm. “You weren’t at the diner. You didn’t see them butcher my friend without a care in the world or when they erased Vinny before my very eyes. The sight of him bursting into dust and Monica collapsing to the ground in a puddle of her own blood are seared into my head. They tortured me! They crippled me and I was powerless to stop them. You don’t know them, Lilly! Until you’ve seen them for yourself, you won’t know! Look at my leg!”

Swallowing nervously, Lilly looked down at Alice’s right leg, everything below the knee completely gone.

“But I have both my legs there,” she went on meekly. “I’m whole in paradise. Which is why I want to go. So please…let them win.”

She could hear the desperation in Alice’s voice and she knew she wasn’t exaggerating. Yet, even knowing that everything she said about Nigreos and Album was true, she still couldn’t back down. As she thought back on her parents and Alexa, people she loved and wanted to see again, she found her resolve to reject Alice’s request.

“No,” she said firmly. “I will not let them win. I’ll keep fighting them until they’re gone…or I’m dead.”

The moment the final word left her lips, the porchlight suddenly went out, leaving them standing on the balcony in darkness. Lilly frowned, glancing back over her shoulder to find that not only was the porchlight off but the lights inside the apartment were, too.

What happened? Why did the power go out?

But the moment she asked herself that question, she realized that this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. As the memories of that monster pursuing her through the halls of the school came back to her with a vengeance, her body went cold. And then, a sudden and bright light erupted behind her. She quickly spun back around, facing the spot where her friend had just been standing, only for her eyes to go wide as the flash of light dimmed enough to give her a view of the sight before her. Album Luz was crouching on the railing, her left hand shoved through Alice’s chest as blood dripped from her pale fingers.

“No,” Lilly uttered. “No, please…”

“Erasurei,” Album whispered.

Time seemed to slow as Lilly gaped at the woman before her. Despite having never seen her in person, there was no question as to who she was. The Ijirians had found them and were making their move, just as they all knew they would. She wanted to sprint over and save Alice, but her instincts told her that if she did so then she would be running to her death, and in that brief second of consideration, she managed to stay rooted to the spot.

“Enjoy paradise, Mendez,” Album said softly, then, despite her rather small build, used her strength to wrench Alice into the air and fling her over the side of the balcony.

“ALICE!” she shrieked, but it was no use.

She could only watch powerlessly as Alice Mendez toppled over the railing, her body already beginning to fade into dust. Yet, she also couldn’t miss the relieved smile that the girl had just before she disappeared over the side.

Wait…what just happened? Why is Album here? Why now? I don’t understand!

“And so, Alice Mendez is gone,” the Master of Light said as she dropped onto the balcony. “And it’s nice to finally meet you, Lilly Harper.”

Lilly never even got the chance to reply before the sliding glass door behind her suddenly exploded in a spray of shards.